Written Answers Monday 10 March 2008

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will guarantee that wages and other terms and conditions afforded to workers by the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board will not be detrimentally affected by the review which has been brought forward.

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as part of any review of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board, it will give consideration to bringing in higher pay to the levels that agricultural workers in England and Wales benefit from.

Richard Lochhead: We will give very careful consideration to future arrangements for determining the pay and conditions of service of agricultural workers in Scotland as part of the review of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board.

Agriculture

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, as the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board was established as a result of the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Act 1949 which consolidated the acts of 1937 and 1940, whether it believes that in this context it is essential that the board retains its powers to make orders fixing minimum wage rates, holiday entitlement and other conditions of service for agricultural workers.

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as part of the review of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board, it will seek to expand the remit of the board to include workers in all areas of agriculture and horticulture including private and ornamental gardens and all types of fish farming.

Richard Lochhead: We will take decisions on the future of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board following the review that was announced by the First Minister on 30 January 2008.

Agriculture

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 67,000 agricultural workers covered by the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board remain in the industry longer than 26 weeks, at which point a higher pay threshold currently begins.

Richard Lochhead: In order to minimise the burden of form-filling on farmers, this information is not collected.

Ambulance Service

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints have been registered against the Scottish Ambulance Service in each year since 1997, also broken down by NHS board area.

Nicola Sturgeon: Details of the number of complaints against the Scottish Ambulance Service from 1997-98 to 2007-08 are outlined in the following table. The information is only available broken down into complaints relating to Scottish Ambulance Service Divisional Areas and Emergency Medical Dispatch Centres (EMDCs).

  

 
 1997-98
 1998-99
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03


 Air Ambulance
 Complaints Recorded Against Divisional Area


 East Central 
 23
 21
 101
 141
 104
 128


 East EMDC
 EMDC Established 2003-04


 North East 
 Not Provided
 Not Provided
 57
 51
 49
 48


 North EMDC 
 EMDC Established 2003-04


 North West
 Not Provided
 Not Provided
 Not Provided
 22
 5
 5


 South East 
 Not Provided
 52
 50
 55
 43
 50


 South West 
 144
 137
 69
 74
 61
 32


 West Central 
 240
 135
 89
 131
 92
 103


 West EMDC
 EMDC Established 2003-04


Total
407
345
366
474
354
366



  

 
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007 to 28-02-08


 Air Ambulance
 Complaints Recorded Against Divisional Area
 2


 East Central 
 79
 30
 60
 42
 36


 East EMDC
 50
 39
 65
 91
 44


 North East 
 65
 19
 34
 27
 10


 North EMDC 
 34
 4
 3
 14
 7


 North West
 17
 2
 5
 11
 8


 South East 
 61
 21
 44
 32
 42


 South West 
 58
 21
 34
 33
 21


 West Central 
 122
 31
 77
 87
 63


 West EMDC
 35
 31
 77
 103
 53


 Total
 521
 198
 399
 440
 286



  Note: *Information provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service

Ambulance Service

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total number of vehicles was in the Scottish Ambulance Service’s fleet in each year since 1997, also broken down by NHS board area.

Nicola Sturgeon: The total number of Scottish Ambulance Service fleet vehicles for the years 2001-02 to 2007-08 is outlined in the table. The information is provided in terms of Scottish Ambulance Service division areas and is not available broken down into NHS board areas. This information is not available for the years 1997 to 2001.

  

 Total Number of Vehicles By Division
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 East Central
 228
 235
 235
 247
 252
 242
 244


 North East
 133
 136
 137
 148
 153
 138
 140


 North West 
 108
 109
 111
 119
 123
 122
 125


 South East
 208
 211
 211
 222
 223
 211
 218


 South West
 280
 281
 283
 315
 316
 293
 293


 West Central
 272
 287
 289
 319
 322
 331
 329


 Total Number of Vehicles for Scottish Ambulance Service
 1,245
 1,276
 1,283
 1,386
 1,406
 1,354
 1,354



  Note: *Information provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Ambulance Service

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many volunteer drivers there have been to take patients to health-related appointments in each year since 1997, also broken down by NHS board area.

Nicola Sturgeon: The following table details the number of volunteer ambulance car drivers since 2004, broken down by NHS board area. Information is not held for the years previous to 2003-04.

  

 NHS Board
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


 Argyll and Clyde
 18
 18
 0
 0


 Ayrshire and Arran
 15
 16
 14
 11


 Borders
 9
 9
 10
 10


 Dumfries and Galloway
 25
 25
 21
 21


 Fife 
 11
 13
 14
 12


 Forth Valley 
 29
 34
 35
 35


 Grampian
 19
 21
 20
 19


 Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 47
 46
 45
 38


 Highland
 57
 58
 64
 64


 Lanarkshire
 28
 30
 32
 26


 Lothian
 13
 11
 10
 10


 Orkney
 4
 4
 2
 1


 Shetland
 0
 1
 0
 0


 Tayside
 28
 25
 24
 24


 Western Isles
 12
 13
 14
 9


 Scotland
 315
 324
 305
 280



  Notes:

  *Information provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service

  #Dissolution of NHS Argyll and Clyde – figures for 2005-06 and 2006-07 included in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Highland

Ambulance Service

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to attract and retain volunteer drivers to take patients to and from health-related appointments.

Nicola Sturgeon: Community transport organisations play a vital role in proving access to NHS facilities. Recent guidance to the NHS in Scotland sets out a three-year action plan aimed at increasing the focus on volunteering in Scotland’s NHS. The guidance is available at:

  http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL2008_10.pdf.

  In addition, each division of the Scottish Ambulance Service places their own advertisements for volunteer drivers according to their recruitment needs.

Ambulance Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents have been recorded by Scottish Ambulance Service of falsifying records which have reduced ambulance response times in each year since 2001.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Ambulance Service is not aware of any such incident.

Benefits

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, under the Solidarity Golden Rule of its Government Economic Strategy, what representations it intends making to influence the UK Government to reduce inequality by ensuring that welfare reform addresses Scotland’s social equity issues and whether this includes addressing the level of withdrawal of housing benefit by 65p in the pound for income earned over the benefit thresholds.

Fiona Hyslop: I am contacting Stephen Timms MP, Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, to arrange a meeting soon to discuss a number of matters, including the impact of welfare reform, on the people of Scotland. The Scottish Government liaises regularly with the UK Government to ensure that developing policy on welfare reform and related areas such as child poverty and housing benefit takes full account of the needs of Scotland’s people.

Bridges

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to prevent high-sided and heavy vehicles from crossing the Forth Road Bridge when weather and weight restrictions are in place.

Stewart Stevenson: Responsibility for the operation of the Forth Road Bridge, including the management of traffic on the crossing, is a matter for the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) in the first instance.

  I understand that FETA is convening a working group to discuss the issue of crossings by high-sided vehicles and other unusual loads during high winds. That group will include representatives from the City of Edinburgh and Fife Councils, Lothian and Borders and Fife Constabularies, and Transport Scotland.

Building Standards

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to conduct research to review the performance achieved in use and any issues found for buildings designed to be low energy, low carbon, zero energy or zero carbon, as recommended in A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland .

Stewart Stevenson: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:

  Options are currently being considered with regard to this research. This may include research which is currently on-going on behalf of Communities Scotland to evaluate sustainability features of several projects that were built with Housing Association Grant in the last 10 years. This will include a literature review covering schemes from other parts of the UK and Europe.

Building Standards

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to publish the results of research to review the performance achieved in use and any issues found for buildings designed to be low energy, low carbon, zero energy or zero carbon, as outlined in A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland .

Stewart Stevenson: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:

  Research that is commissioned as a direct result of A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland recommendations and the Communities Scotland’s research will be presented to Scottish ministers. The intention is that the findings will then be published on the Scottish Government website.

Building Standards

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what body will carry out monitoring of recent private and public sector low carbon domestic and non-domestic buildings in Scotland, as recommended in A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland , and what the timescale is for this.

Stewart Stevenson: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer. His response is as follows:

  It is intended that contractors will be appointed by competitive tender to undertake this work. This work will only be possible when a sufficient number of buildings which are designed to meet the 2007 standards are complete and occupied. It will require the assistance of occupiers that are supportive of the research work. The monitoring will take place over the course of at least one year.

Building Standards

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is considering the role that building regulations can play in terms of smart meters, as recommended in A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland .

Stewart Stevenson: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer. His response is as follows:

  A review of the energy standards in Scottish building regulations has recently commenced. The role that building regulations can play in terms of smart meters will be on the Building Standards Advisory Committee, energy working party agenda.

Building Standards

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to support training in new technologies, new products and new standards for low and zero carbon buildings, as recommended in A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland .

Stewart Stevenson: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Government is aware that as the market for low and zero carbon technologies increases, there is the need to ensure that training is available for these technologies, new products and new standards. The Sector Skills Councils, the Scottish Development Council and the Scottish Funding Council have been asked to jointly consider the skills needs of the renewables sector, including small scale low and zero carbon technologies.

  The SBSA is working with colleagues in the Energy Efficiency Unit of the Scottish Government to address the recommendation in the Sullivan Report to encourage the development of training on new technologies, new products and new standards.

Building Standards

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce legislation to require all owners of non-domestic buildings to conduct a carbon and energy assessment and produce a programme for upgrading, as recommended in A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland , and how it will empower local authorities or public bodies to check such assessments.

Stewart Stevenson: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer. His response is as follows:

  A consultation paper is currently being drafted on proposals for reducing the carbon emissions associated with existing buildings. This work is being done in conjunction with other parts of Scottish Government, including Historic Scotland. Legislative changes will be dependant on the outcome of this consultation.

Building Standards

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to set up a working group to look at reducing carbon emissions in existing domestic buildings, as recommended in A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland .

Stewart Stevenson: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer. His response is as follows:

  A review of the energy standards in Scottish building regulations has recently commenced. A Building Standards Advisory Committee, energy working party has been convened. Part of its remit is to consider the energy standards and guidance that should apply when building owners elect to do work on existing domestic buildings.

Building Standards

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish the 2010 revised building standards.

Stewart Stevenson: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer. His response is as follows:

  It is intended that the next revisions proposed for building regulations will be indicated to industry later this year.

Building Standards

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce primary legislation to allow Scottish ministers the opportunity to extend the provision and type of energy performance certificates, as recommended in A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland .

Stewart Stevenson: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer. His response is as follows:

  A consultation paper is currently being drafted on proposals for reducing the carbon emissions associated with existing buildings. This work is being done in conjunction with other parts of Scottish Government, including Historic Scotland. Legislative changes will be dependant on the outcome of this consultation.

Cancer

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were diagnosed with prostate cancer in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the incidence of cancer, by tumour type, year and NHS board are available from the Scottish Cancer Registry at ISD Scotland,  www.isdscotland.org . The most recent year for which published information is available is 2004.

Cancer

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the five-year survival rate is for prostate cancer patients in each NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not available centrally. Survival data for Scotland as a whole are available, broken down by year and by tumour type, from ISD Scotland:

  www.isdscotland.org.

Cancer

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current screening arrangements are for the detection of prostate cancer.

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to improve screening for prostate cancer across Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon: There are no national screening programme arrangements for the detection of prostate cancer.

  The Scottish Government is provided with expert, independent advice on screening programmes by the UK National Screening Committee (NSC).

  The level of Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) in the blood is one of a range of investigations which may be undertaken to help confirm a diagnosis of prostate cancer. Currently available tests cannot differentiate between those men whose prostate cancer will grow rapidly and aggressively and those in whom it will remain localised to the prostate for the rest of their lives. Thus, some men could be offered treatment that they do not require and current treatments for prostate cancer can also have serious side-effects, including impotence and incontinence. PSA levels may also be raised in a number of conditions unrelated to cancer.

  For these reasons the current PSA test and treatment for prostate cancer do not meet the requirements for an effective population based screening programme and is not currently recommended by the NSC. The NSC continue to actively review the research findings as they become available on screening for prostate cancer and Scottish Government will continue to monitor their advice and recommendations closely.

Education

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that the terms of the agreement for teaching in the 21st century will be met in the Highlands as a result of the recent budget decisions by Highland Council.

Fiona Hyslop: We expect all councils to meet the terms of the agreement for teaching in the 21st century. The new concordat between the Scottish Government and Scottish local authorities provides total funding of £34.9 billion, an increase of 13.1% over the next three years, and gives local authorities the flexibility to deliver services in the best way for their communities. The recent budget decisions in Highland Council included a 5.8% increase in the funding allocated to Education Culture and Sport.

Fisheries

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8816 by Richard Lochhead on 1 February 2008, whether automatic licence suspension for illegal fishing activities is compliant with (a) Scots law, (b) UK legislation and (c) EU regulations and directives.

Richard Lochhead: The system of licence suspension operated by the Scottish Government was first approved by the Commission in May 2006 and notified in 2008 under Regulation 40/2008 dated 16 January. It is considered that the system is fully compliant with Scots law (whether made at national level, at UK level or at Community level).

Freight

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Freight Facilities Grant was in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06.

Stewart Stevenson: The budget for Freight Facilities Grant was (a) £14.6 million in 2004-05 and (b) £15.4 million in 2005-06.

Further and Higher Education

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what involvement the Association of Scottish Colleges has had with the Joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities.

Fiona Hyslop: I met the Association of Scotland’s Colleges (ASC) and the Principals’ Forum on 13 December 2007 and explained the proposals for the taskforce at that meeting. I also expect to discuss the work of the taskforce with ASC at the next Further and Higher Education Roundtable in March.

Health

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what work has been done in Scotland to ensure that psychologists, including educational psychologists, are aware of the consultation paper on the Health Care and Associated Professions (Miscellaneous Amendments) No 2 Order 2008.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Department of Health in England issued this consultation paper across the UK, including on behalf of the Scottish Government. To supplement the Department of Health lists, we provided lists of Scottish consultees, including NHS boards, local authorities, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the Scottish Parliament and members of the Scottish Groups currently taking forward the implementation in Scotland of the White Paper, Trust, Assurance and Safety: The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century . Scottish Implementation Group members were drawn from a wide spectrum of Scottish stakeholders, including the independent sector, following a series of stakeholder events on white paper policies for future regulation.

  I understand the UK bodies on the Department of Health’s consultation list included the British Psychological Society and the Association of Educational Psychologists, both of which represent their respective interests across the whole of the UK.

  Regulation has also been discussed with education officials at various meetings with Scottish educational psychologists. The consultation closes on 22 March.

Health

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will submit a response to the consultation on the Health Care and Associated Professions (Miscellaneous Amendments) No 2 Order 2008.

Nicola Sturgeon: No. That would not be appropriate as this is a joint consultation issued on behalf of the Scottish Government and the UK Government.

Health

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether per capita costs for health care rise the longer a person lives.

Nicola Sturgeon: The cost of health care for an individual depends on their health. Although it is true to say that on average the costs of treating older people (and very young children) are higher in any given year than for working age people, this is a result of the current population profile, healthy life and life expectancies. If an individual was to live longer, the related per capita costs for health care over the individual’s life would depend on the extent to which the additional years of life were spent in good health.

  The policies that we are putting in place involve investing in the early years of life to help people sustain and improve their healthy life expectancy. The Better Health, Better Care: Action Plan sets out our programme of work to improve Scotland’s health and details our actions increase the length of health life expectancy.

  If these policies result in a shorter period of chronic illness at the end of a person’s longer healthy life, then the total cost to the NHS over a person’s lifetime may in fact be less than at present despite the fact that they have lived longer.

Life Expectancy

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether longer life expectancy will result in increased costs for the NHS.

Nicola Sturgeon: There is no definitive answer. Longer life expectancy only inevitably leads to rising costs if age related patterns of morbidity and treatment were to remain static.

  Along with increasing life expectancy the Scottish population, in common with other developed countries, is experiencing increasing healthy life expectancy.

  Although per capita NHS costs, in any one year, are highest for the youngest and the elderly within the population, the effect of an increasingly elderly population in the future is not clear cut.

  The apparent association of ageing and health care cost increase is based on the assumption that, despite longer life expectancy, the onset of serious illness continues to be around the same age as currently, and that individuals simply spend a longer time with chronic illness, incurring health care costs.

  The more likely scenario, illustrated by increasing healthy life expectancy, is the postponement of the onset of chronic ill health - and its progression to levels of severity, including death. So the costs shift to an older age cohort.

  The implementation of Better Health Better Care, including investment in the earlier years of life, and increased disease prevention measures are designed to increase health life expectancy resulting in the scenario described. People will live longer, healthier lives with the onset of chronic illness and demands on the NHS delayed.

Ministerial Cars

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many overnight stays in hotels have been charged for by Government Car Service drivers since may 2007.

John Swinney: Over the period 16 May 2007 to 29 February 2008 170 claims for overnight accommodation were made by the drivers of the Government Car Service. This excludes claims for overnight accommodation at training courses.

Ministerial Cars

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to renew the Government Car Service fleet.

John Swinney: The programme for the replacement of Government Car Service vehicles falls within a policy that applies across the whole Scottish Government fleet. This requires that vehicles are normally considered for replacement only once they are four years old or have covered 80,000 miles.

Ministerial Cars

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs of travel by official car were for each minister from May 2007 to January 2008.

John Swinney: Costs incurred by Cabinet Secretaries and ministers for journeys arranged through the Government Car Services (GCS) are not available in the format requested. Overall running costs for GCS for the period May 2007 through to January 2008, was £703,791.

  GCS provides/arranges transport for a wide range of customers, including Scottish Cabinet Secretaries/ministers, ministers of UK Government Departments when in Scotland, some senior officials at the Scottish Government, visiting dignitaries, and where necessary the transportation of official documents.

Ministerial Cars

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many drivers it currently employs for the Government Car Service.

John Swinney: The Government Car Service currently employs 19 drivers, as has been the case since 2001.

Ministerial Cars

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the turnover has been of Government Car Service drivers since May 2007.

John Swinney: There has been no turnover of drivers since May 2007.

Ministerial Cars

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost of petrol for the Government Car Service has been since May 2007.

John Swinney: The Government Car Service’s average annual expenditure on fuel over the past three years is £64,500. It has spent £60,947 on fuel since May 2007. Fuel costs are of course rising.

NHS Boards

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what formula capital funds are being made available to NHS boards and special health boards for 2008-09.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards have been given a formula capital allocation of £324 million for 2008-09, and notified of indicative allocations of £329 million and £334 million for 2009-10 and 2010-11.

  Details of NHS boards formula capital allocations for 2008-09 and indicative formula allocations for 2009-10 and 2010-11, together with Special Board Minor Works allocations for the three year period are as follows:

  

 NHS Boards
Actual 2008-09
Indicative 2009-10
Indicative 2010-11


 
£ million
£ million
£ million


 Ayrshire and Arran
 21.451
 21.783
 22.114


 Borders
 6.034
 6.128
 6.221


 Dumfries and Galloway
 9.023
 9.161
 9.301


 Fife
 18.180
 18.461
 18.741


 Forth Valley
 14.534
 14.758
 14.982


 Grampian
 29.330
 29.782
 30.235


 Greater Glasgow
 97.417
 98.920
 100.423


 Highland
 18.596
 18.883
 19.170


 Lanarkshire
 29.495
 29.950
 30.405


 Lothian
 51.481
 52.276
 53.070


 Orkney
 0.893
 0.907
 0.921


 Shetland
 1.014
 1.029
 1.045


 Tayside
 24.650
 25.030
 25.411


 Western Isles
 1.902
 1.932
 1.961


 Totals
 324.000
 329.000
 334.000



  

 NHS Special Boards
Actual 2008-09
Indicative 2009-10
Indicative 2010-11


 
£ million
£ million
£ million


 National Services Scotland
 5.750
 6.000
 6.250


 Scottish Ambulance Service
 15.180
 13.200
 12.350


 NHS24
 1.608
 1.608
 1.608


 Golden Jubilee National Hospital
 9.678
 6.625
 4.100


 State Hospital
 20.263
 26.552
 24.886


 Quality Improvement Scotland
 1.790
 1.690
 0.000


 NHS Health Scotland
 0.000
 0.000
 0.000


 NHS Education
 0.000
 0.000
 0.000


 Mental Welfare
 0.000
 0.000
 0.000


 Totals
 54.269
 55.675
 49.194

NHS Finance

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what costs it has budgeted in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10 for the preparation and publication of the proposed annual ownership report on the NHS, and what will be contained in the report.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Better Health Better Care Action Plan indicated our commitment to the concept of mutuality and an annual ownership report. Distributed free of charge to all Scottish households, this will set out information on the rights and responsibilities of patients and their carers, alongside useful information about how to access local services, raise issues or complaints and get more involved in the design and delivery of local health services.

  We will shortly begin work with patient and community groups to agree an appropriate form and content for the report. Until this work is completed it will not be possible to give an accurate estimate of the cost which will be incurred.

NHS Hospitals

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of all the diagnostic equipment in each major hospital and whether any report of such assessment will be published and, if so, when.

Nicola Sturgeon: The requirement for diagnostic equipment in hospitals is an operational matter for NHS boards.

  With regard to safety of such equipment, the Incident Reporting and Investigation Centre, of Scottish Healthcare Supplies (SHS) manage a system for the reporting of adverse incidents with regard to the safety of medical devices, investigating such incidents, facilitating the implementation of remedial action and the publication and distribution of safety advice. The Scottish Government Health Directorate, as sponsors of SHS, provide funding to support the delivery of the service and monitor the issuing of safety warnings.

  The Scottish Government Health Directorates monitors NHS board activity relating to the implementation of the recommendations of the Audit Scotland report Better Equipped to Care – A Follow Up Report, published in February 2004, regarding the management of medical equipment.

NHS Hospitals

Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, following the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing’s statement on Accident and Emergency Units (Ayr and Monklands Hospitals) on 27 February 2008, whether previous proposals for enhanced accident and emergency services at Hairmyres Hospital will still be implemented.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Lanarkshire’s original proposals to enhance accident and emergency services at Hairmyres Hospital was in recognition of the fact that Hairmyres would be one of two emergency hospitals in Lanarkshire. NHS Lanarkshire are now in the process of considering the management of the totality of emergency activity in the region. However, recognising the levels of accident and emergency activity and the need to ensure that patients are seen as quickly as possible, in accordance with clinical priority, redesign work is underway to aid patient flows, and the impact of this initiative will be evaluated.

  It is worth noting that NHS Lanarkshire’s four-hour unscheduled care performance remains good, maintaining 98% for the month of February.

NHS Hospitals

Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the event that proposals for enhanced accident and emergency services at Hairmyres Hospital do not proceed, it will consider the provision of full accident and emergency services at the New Victoria Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: I have been clear that it is not our intention to undertake a general review of service changes that have been made in the NHS. It would be inappropriate to revisit these decisions, some of which were made several years ago, not least due to the uncertainty, instability, delay and cost this would engender in the NHS.

NHS Hospitals

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions the Minister for Health and Wellbeing has had with NHS Ayrshire and Arran regarding the timescale for setting up a new community unit at Ayrshire Central Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Ayrshire and Arran are committed to the development of a new Community Hospital on the Ayrshire Central Hospital site. The timescale is a matter for NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

NHS Hospitals

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it anticipates that patients will have access to the proposed community unit at Ayrshire Central Hospital.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed community unit at Ayrshire Central Hospital will be staffed by a fully qualified doctor.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what range of facilities, such as X-ray, laboratories and physiotherapy, will be provided in the proposed community unit at Ayrshire Central Hospital.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed community unit at Ayrshire Central Hospital will provide a short-stay ward for patients.

Nicola Sturgeon: This is a matter for NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

NHS Staff

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of recent fuel prices increases, it believes that current mileage allowances and lump sums payable to NHS staff who use their own cars while on duty should be reviewed.

Nicola Sturgeon: Mileage rates are specified under Agenda for Change terms and conditions and any changes are agreed through the UK NHS Staff Council - the partnership organisation set up in the wake of the introduction of Agenda for Change to oversee the operation of the new system’s terms and conditions across the UK, and also to act as a forum for discussion of relevant issues. Membership of the council includes representatives of trades unions and professional representative organisations, NHS employers and UK Health Departments.

  I can confirm that a sub-group of the staff council has been tasked with conducting a fundamental review of mileage rates and lease car policy, taking account of both motoring costs and environmental issues.

  In the interim, the mileage rate for regular uses with cars under 1,500cc has been increased in an effort to help the least well paid members of staff until such time as new arrangements can be put in place.

  Agenda for Change covers non medical staff but the likelihood is that mileage rates for staff not covered by Agenda for Change (i.e. doctors) will also be altered in accordance with the findings of the UK Staff Council sub-group, once these are known.

National Lottery

Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make to Her Majesty’s Government to ensure that money is set aside in the Big Lottery Fund for community land buyouts.

John Swinney: The priorities for distribution in Scotland by the Big Lottery Fund are set by Scottish ministers in policy directions made with the consent of the Secretary of State. The current directions, December 2006, identify promotion of community land ownership as one of the priorities to which Scottish devolved expenditure should be distributed.

Planning

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning applications have been determined as being of national significance before a local planning decision was made; how many were so determined after planning consent had been granted by the local planning authority, and how many after planning consent had been refused by the local planning authority in each year since 1999.

The Executive have supplied the following corrected answer:

John Swinney: Over the period 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2007, Scottish ministers called in and determined 250 planning applications where the planning authority had not issued a decision but was minded to grant planning consent subject to notification to the Scottish ministers. No planning applications have been called in by Scottish ministers after a decision notice was issued by a planning authority.

  Where a planning application is refused by a planning authority the applicant has the right to appeal to Scottish ministers. Appeals are heard by an inquiry reporter. Most appeal decisions are delegated to reporters but in cases where the application is judged to be a matter of national concern Scottish ministers can "recall" the appeal case for their own determination. Ministers can accept or reject the reporter’s recommendation. The number of appeals recalled for determination by Scottish ministers over this period is 98.

  A breakdown of the yearly figures for called in applications and recalled appeals is provided below:

  

Year
 No. of Called in Applications
 No. of Appeals Recalled


 1999
 44
 11


 2000
 30
 16


 2001
 41
 12


 2002
 18
 7


 2003
 23
 11


 2004
 37
 8


 2005
 21
 15


 2006
 17
 8


 2007
 19
 10


 Total
 250
 98

Planning

Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning applications approved by local authorities it has called in since June 2007; to what the applications referred, and how many of have now been concluded.

Stewart Stevenson: Details of the planning applications called in by Scottish ministers since June 2007 is contained in the table below:

  

 Case Description
 Date of Call In
 Final Decision


 Erection of Retail, High Street, Buckie
 4/7/07
Withdrawn26/11/07


 Erection of 2 Buildings, Nine Mile Burn, Penicuik
 4/7/07
 Pending


 Construction of 52 dwellinghouses, Mount Ellen Golf Club, Gartcosh
 21/6/07
 Pending


 Erection of retail foodstore, Knockbreck Road, Tain
 26/6/07
 Pending


 Proposed wind turbines at Merranblo, Orkney.
 26/6/07
 Pending


 New settlement village at Forestmill, Alloa
 24/7/07
 Pending


 Mixed use development Waukglen Road, Glasgow
 12/7/07
 Pending


 Erection of dwellinghouse, Maryville View, Uddingston
 9/10/07
 Pending


 Erection of retail foodstore at North Road, Fort William
 7/12/07
 Pending


 Cemetery & crematorium, Linlathen Road, Dundee
 14/1/08
 Pending


 New retail and leisure at Queens Drive, Kilmarnock. 
 19/12/07
 Pending


 Erection of dwellinghouse, Banton Road, Banton
 17/12/07
 Pending 


 Erection of dwellinghouse Greenleeshill Farm, Cambuslang
 6/2/08
 Pending


 Erection of dwellinghouse at 43 Callanish, Isle of Lewis
 6/2/08
 Pending


 Formation of new access onto A87, No2 Oak Villa, Invergarry.
 17/1/08
 Pending


 Extension to cottage, Jocks Spot, Auchmore, Near Newtonmore
 15/2/08
 Pending


 Proposed wind turbines at Monan, Isle of Harris
 4/7/07
 Revoked 6/9/07


 Change of use, Bruan, Caithness.
 12/7/07
 Revoked 30/10/07

Planning

Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning applications refused by local authorities it has called in since June 2007.

Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning applications it has called in after having been refused by local authorities in each year since 1999; to what the applications referred, and on what dates they were called in.

Stewart Stevenson: Scottish ministers have no power to call in a planning application after the written notice of refusal has been issued by a planning authority.

Planning

Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what average number of planning applications approved by local authorities it has called in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson: The total number of planning applications called in by Scottish ministers for the period 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2007 is 250. A breakdown of the yearly figures is provided:

  

 Year
 No. Called In


 1999
 44


 2000
 30


 2001
 41


 2002
 18


 2003
 23


 2004
 37


 2005
 21


 2006
 17


 2007
 19

Prison Service

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8986 by Kenny MacAskill on 12 February 2008, whether the Victim Notification Scheme will be altered in light of the Robert Foye case.

Kenny MacAskill: There are no plans at present to alter the Victim Notification Scheme (VNS) in light of the review of the Robert Foye case. The Scottish Government is committed to extend the scope of the VNS from 15 May 2008 to cover offenders sentenced to 18 or more months in prison. The current scheme is joined by around 600 victims a year. It is estimated that the number of victims joining the extended scheme will rise to nearly 2,000 a year.

  Victims who join the VNS will be notified whenever an offender has become eligible for temporary release and also if the offender is unlawfully at large.

Prison Service

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8995 by Kenny MacAskill on 7 February 2008, whether victims are contacted by the Scottish Prison Service or police forces prior to the media being advised.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The decision to contact victims immediately following the abscond of a prisoner is a matter for the Chief Constable. A memorandum of understanding for advising the media of a prisoner who absconds exists between the Scottish Prison Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland).

  The SPS will write to any victims registered under the Victim Notification Scheme 48 hours following the incident to provide information on the abscond. The same individuals will also be notified when the prisoner is returned to custody.

Scottish Government Departments

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many bottles of water have been purchased by each of its departments and agencies in each of the last five years and what the cost was in each case.

John Swinney: The following tables set out the number and cost of the large (11 litre) bottles of water bought under the Scottish Government (SG) water cooler contract which covers the core SG together with certain agencies, as well as the smaller (500 ml) bottles provided for hospitality under our catering contract. Information on water provided under the water cooler contract can only be provided for the past four years.

  

 Building
2004-05 Bottles
2004-05 Value
2005-06 Bottles
2005-06 Value


 Meridian Court
 882
 2,770.80
 1856
 5,611.54


 Victoria Quay
 5,270
 16,087.80
 9623
 28,648.74


 St Andrew’s House
 4,390
 13,438
 6910
 20,872.24


 Saughton House 
 2,194
 6,801.42
 3286
 9,967.88


 Pentland House
 2,269
 6,940.60
 3979
 12,042.90


 Other Core
 1,384
 4884.82
 2541
 8,129.10


 Agencies
 7,661
 4,789.31
 10576
 37,276.57


 Totals
 24,050
£55,712.75
 38771
£122,548.97



  

 Building
2006-07 Bottles
2006-07 Value
2007-08 Bottles
2007-08 Value


 Meridian Court
 1,926
 5470.80
 1837
 5,338.60


 Victoria Quay
 8,980
 25,131.80
 9157
 26,544.40


 St Andrew’s House
 6,733
 18,995.20
 6928
 20,103.70


 Saughton House 
 3,285
 9,198
 3533
 10,316.30


 Pentland House
 3,661
 10,250.80
 3422
 9,941.90


 Other Core
 2,732
 8,427.40
 2472
 7840.80


 Agencies
 12,261
 40747.70
 12456
 42,143


 Totals
 39,578
£118,221.70
 39805
£122,228.70



  Hospitality

  

 Building
2003 Bottles (500ml)
2003 Value
2004 Bottles (500ml)
2004 Value
2005 Bottles (500ml)
2005 Value


 Victoria Quay
 16,998
£15,638
 17,214
£16,697
 17,944
£18,841


 Saughton House
 6,778
£6,235
 6,895
£6,688
 7,156
£7,513


 Pentland House
 3,921
£3,607
 4,025
£3,904
 4,201
£4,411


 St Andrew’s House
 10,984
£10,105
 11,142
£10,807
 11,256
£11,818


 Meridian Court & Europa Building
 3,266
£3,004
 3,456
£3,352
 3,623
£3,804


 Totals
 41,947
£38,589
 42,732
£41,448
 44,180
£46,387



  

 Building
 2006 Bottles (500ml)
2006 Value
 2007 Bottles (500ml)
2007 Value


 Victoria Quay
 20,156
£21,970
 22,712
£25,437


 Saughton House
 7,480
£8,153
 6,684
£7,486


 Pentland House
 4,528
£4,935
 2,944
£3,297


 St Andrew’s House
 12,340
£13,450
 19,648
£22,005


 Meridian Court & Europa Building
 3,880
£4,229
 3,396
£3,803


 Totals
 48,384
£52,737
 55,384
£62,028

Student Finance

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the number of students who will see a reduction in the grant or bursary or student support that they currently receive due to changes to the means-testing arrangements announced on 15 February 2008.

Fiona Hyslop: Under the previous Scottish Executive, this information was not recorded. The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) did not ask for details of partner’s income because this factor is currently not recognised in the income assessment for living cost support in higher education. It is therefore not possible to estimate how many students will be affected by the changes as we do not know how many students’ parents have partners or how many students themselves have partners.

  The Scottish Government did attempt to model the costs involved in estimating how many students in Scotland will see a reduction in the grant or bursary or student support that they currently receive due to the means-testing arrangements. However, because this information is not available, it is not possible to produce accurate forecasts.

  The Scottish Government will ensure that all income available to households when applying for living cost support will be recorded by SAAS and will closely monitor the numbers affected by these changes from 2008-09 onwards.

  We will make funds available to students who are in genuine hardship through their institutions discretionary funds.

Student Finance

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers have the ability to vary the rate of interest payable on student loans in Scotland and, if so, what the mechanism is to do so.

Fiona Hyslop: Historically, the advice from the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), previously the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), has been that the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do not have the ability to set their own interest rate as this is a reserved issue. Based on this advice, the interest rate payable on student loans in Scotland (and Wales and Northern Ireland) has consistently been set in line with the rate set by DIUS.

  I have asked my officials to look again at this matter and will write to you again if I have anything further to report.

Student Finance

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the legislative basis is for the current rate of interest applied to student loans in Scotland.

Fiona Hyslop: Historically, the advice from the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), previously the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), has been that the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do not have the ability to set their own interest rate as this is a reserved issue covered by The Education (Student Loans) Act 1990. Based on this advice, the interest rate payable on student loans in Scotland (and Wales and Northern Ireland) has consistently been set in line with the rate set by DIUS.

  I have asked my officials to look again at this matter and will write to you again if I have anything further to report.

Transport

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers have been kept informed of discussions that have taken place between NHS Greater Glasgow, Glasgow City Council, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport and other strategic partners regarding the benefits of the proposed Clyde Fastlink scheme in helping improve access to the Southern General Hospital and the Golden Jubilee National Hospital and whether Fastlink has been the subject of discussions involving officials from Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government’s health department.

Stewart Stevenson: Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, the lead partner in the consortium behind the Clyde Fastlink project, have been keeping ministers informed of on-going discussions between the various stakeholders including the health boards and the local authorities.

  The Clyde Fastlink project is being considered in the context of the Strategic Transport Project Review.